SantaCon double trouble

Channel Bad Santa; the global gathering is headed to Gaslamp & North Park.

Nothing says holiday cheer quite like hundreds of men and women dressed like Santa Claus, parading around the city, knocking on doors, drinking through bars, and embracing whatever merry chaos comes their way. In other words, your cute little holiday pub crawl is nothing compared to the big daddy SantaCon.

So much more than a bar crawl, SantaCon is an international mass gathering of holiday-crazed people decked out from head to toe in Santa gear. We’re talking full beards, cherry red suits, black boots and a big fat stomach for bonus points. This worldwide holiday series gets around like the old man himself, with big stops through San Francisco, New York and Portland in the U.S., plus visits to London, Tokyo, Rome, Berlin, Munich and even Hong Kong. To think, Santa can party in so many cities in the same night. It’s a real Christmas miracle!

The first SantaCon is hitting the Gaslamp Quarter on Saturday, December 8. The madness will take over all downtown city streets, and the official bar crawl starts at McFadden’s at 4:30pm, moving on to Henry’s Pub, The Local, Hennessey’s Tavern, Hooters and Dick’s Last Resort. Pre-sale wristbands are $10 per person, getting you drink specials at every bar. Wristband proceeds will benefit the Veterans of Operation Iraqi/Enduring Freedom organization.

SantaCon continues in North Park on Saturday, December 15. No wristbands or bar schedule for this hipster SantaCon. Just follow the red masses down University Avenue all afternoon. Stop into a few of our favorite N.P. spots for liquid courage, from Seven Grand Whiskey Den, to U-31, URBN, True North Tavern and Bar Pink. This SantaCon is supporting Mama’s Kitchen of San Diego, so make sure to bring a few canned items to donate.

All Santa Claus costume interpretations are welcomed, and encouraged. Whether you choose Surfing Santa, Homeless Santa, Rock Star Santa, Slutty Santa, or Jewish Santa, do not forget to print out the official SantaCon Song Book. You really don’t want to be that Santa feeling all left out during the block party sing-a-long. And now, an excerpt from ‘Santa Pick-Up Lines’: “Hey babe, when was the last time you did it in a sleigh? The whip ain’t just for the reindeer, sweet cheeks.”